The drought is over, but Tampa Bay must be on guard with its water

What is the difference between the year?

Heading into the dry spring season in 2024, the Tampa Bay area was already in a severe drought. Rainfall has dropped dramatically for several months, Tampa Bay Water’s desalination plant was offline for repairs, and CW Bill Young Reservoir fell by less than half.

We are particularly grateful for the efforts that many residents and businesses have made to adopt water conservation last year. The reduction in irrigation, combined with cool temperatures and regression to normal rainfall, allowed the region to reduce water demand by millions of gallons a day. And due to low demand from the storm and high rain, the reservoirs were able to be filled.

A year later, our local drinking water supply is much better. The dry season begins this month and usually lasts until mid-June. The drought ended last year after a tropical storm and two major hurricanes. Demineralized plants operate and produce approximately 12 million gallons of water a day. The reservoir is once again providing water to the area during dry seasons, but this year it started at full capacity.

However, the unpredictability of the weather in the area cannot disappoint the guards. We need to ensure that the Tampa Bay Area continues to provide sufficient drinking water to maintain our quality of life, and we need to renew our commitment to conserving water and using only what we need.

The natives of Florida know that they expect dry spring. For new residents in the area, it’s a coordination. There is no April shower to bring May flowers, so gardening and planting will have to wait until the summer rains return.

Residents should remain vigilant about maintaining irrigation systems for their lawns and following community watering rules. You can find the watering date by entering your postal code at Tampabaywater.org. Skip rainy irrigation days to save 1,500-2,500 gallons of water.

There are also many other ways to save water. The average family could lose 180 gallons a week from household leaks that can be detected and repaired. The perfect toilet flapper can waste up to 200 gallons a day. Brushing your teeth and turning off the taps will save you 8 gallons a day.

Residents can also obtain rebates through the Tampa Bay Waterwise program at Tampabaywaterwise.org to install water-efficient equipment and devices in their homes. This saves water and money.

Tampa Bay Water is building a system that meets demand, including multiple drinking water sources. And we are working on both immediate projects and long-term plans to expand our water resources.

In the short term, Tampa Bay Water is expanding Tampa’s cutting-edge Tampa Bay Regional Water Surface Treatment Plant. It is designed to provide an average of 90 million gallons of high quality drinking water per day, with an expansion of up to 12.5 million gallons per day. It also completes design plans for the 26-mile South Hillsboro pipeline. It carries an additional 65 million gallons of water a day to the rapidly growing community in South Hillsboro County. These major projects are expected to be completed in 2028.

In the long run, Tampa Bay Water is preparing to meet growing water needs from 2033 onwards, so it is studying seven other potential projects.

I have lived in the area for my life and worked at Tampa Bay Water for over 30 years. We have built a resilient water supply system for our area, but even when we are not facing drought conditions, we need to live our water storage in Tampa Bay.

Chuck Carden is the general manager of Tampa Bay Water, supplying wholesale drinking water to Hillsboro, Pasco, Pinellas, Newport Richie, St. Petersburg and Tampa.